Male circumcision uptake during the Botswana Combination Prevention Project.

Introduction: Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) uptake has been slow in some countries, including Botswana. To inform demand creation efforts, we examined sociodemographic characteristics and referral procedures associated with VMMC uptake in the Botswana Combination Prevention Project (BCPP) and examined the effectiveness of referral of men to MC services from HIV testing venues.

Design: BCPP was a community-randomized trial evaluating the impact of a combination HIV prevention package which included VMMC on community HIV incidence.

Implementation and Operational Research: Strengthening HIV Test Access and Treatment Uptake Study (Project STATUS): A Randomized Trial of HIV Testing and Counseling Interventions.

Objective: To determine which of 3 HIV testing and counseling (HTC) models in outpatient departments (OPDs) increases HIV testing and entry of newly identified HIV-infected patients into care.

Design: Randomized trial of HTC interventions.

Methods: Thirty-six OPDs in South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda were randomly assigned to 3 different HTC models: (A) health care providers referred eligible patients (aged 18-49, not tested in the past year, not known HIV positive) to on-site voluntary counseling and testing for HTC offered and provided by voluntary counseling and testing counselors after clinical consultation; (B) health care providers offered and provided HTC to eligible patients during clinical consultation; and (C) nurse or lay counselors offered and provided HTC to eligible patients before clinical consultation.

Poor performance of the determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab combo fourth-generation rapid test for detection of acute infections in a National Household Survey in Swaziland.

Fourth-generation HIV rapid tests (RTs) claim to detect both p24 antigen (Ag) and HIV antibodies (Ab) for early identification of acute infections, important for targeting prevention and reducing HIV transmission. In a nationally representative household survey in Swaziland, 18,172 adults, age 18 to 49 years, received home-based HIV rapid testing in 2010 and 2011. Of the 18,172 individuals, 5,822 (32.

"What took you so long?" The impact of PEPFAR on the expansion of HIV testing and counseling services in Africa.

HIV testing and counseling services in Africa began in the early 1990s, with limited availability and coverage. Fears of stigma and discrimination, complex laboratory systems, and lack of available care and treatment services hampered expansion. Use of rapid point-of-care tests, introduction of services to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and increasing provision of antiretroviral drugs were key events in the late 1990s and early 2000s that facilitated the expansion of HIV testing and counseling services.

Variability in interpretation among B-readers in the U.S. Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program.

U.S. Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program B-reading reports were analyzed for variability in identifying pneumoconiosis in 278,944 chest radiographs done from 1990 to 2004 using commercial database and statistical software.

Changes in B-readings over time in the United States Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program.

Objective: To study the impact of variability among B-readers on clinical occupational medicine.

Methods: A total of 419,770 B-reading reports from February 1980 to May 2004 in the US Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program were analyzed for changes in category from the previous B-reading on each individual worker.

Results: Over 7% of films were categorized as worse (ie, read as going from negative to positive), and over 6% were categorized as better.

Hierarchical messages for introducing multiple HIV prevention options: promise and pitfalls.

In battling HIV, many interventionists advocate the use of hierarchical messages that present multiple prevention options in order of decreasing effectiveness. The purpose of the present study was to determine if hierarchical messages provide women with additional prevention options without reducing the perceived efficacy of and willingness to use the primary method mentioned (in this case, male condoms). African American and Mexican American women between 18 and 32 years of age (n=112) at risk for HIV were randomly assigned to receive either a male-condom-only message (use male condoms) or a hierarchical message (use male condoms; if not, use female condoms; if not, use spermicide).

Installing computers in older adults' homes and teaching them to access a patient education web site: a systematic approach.

This article describes the experiences of nurses who, as part of a large clinical trial, brought the Internet into older adults' homes by installing a computer, if needed, and connecting to a patient education Web site. Most of these patients had not previously used the Internet and were taught even basic computer skills when necessary. Because of increasing use of the Internet in patient education, assessment, and home monitoring, nurses in various roles currently connect with patients to monitor their progress, teach about medications, and answer questions about appointments and treatments.

Persistence of inconsistent condom use: relation to abuse history and HIV serostatus.

This study longitudinally examines the relation between a history of experiencing childhood and adult physical or sexual abuse, and male condom use by women with or at risk for HIV. Abuse history and prospective condom use data were collected from 214 HIV infected and 189 uninfected women participating in the HIV Epidemiology Research Study (HERS) who were inconsistent condom users at baseline and received two safer sex counseling sessions. Analyses were conducted to assess the association between abuse history and condom use while controlling for sociodemographic variables and other risk factors.

Active rectal wall protection using direct transperineal cryo-needles for histologically proven prostate adenocarcinomas.

Introduction And Objectives: Cryosurgical ablation of the prostate is a promising new modality for the treatment localized prostate cancer. However, better protection of the rectal wall during cryoablation of the peripheral zone of the prostate (PZP) may permit deeper freezing of the PZP and for longer time, rendering the procedure safer and more effective. We present a modified cryoablation technique of the prostate using the SeedNet system (Galil Medical, Uniondale, NY, USA), in which the rectum is actively protected during cryoablation.

Multiple sclerosis presenting as neurological decompression sickness in a U.S. navy diver.

A case of clinically definite multiple sclerosis presenting as neurological decompression sickness is presented. A 23-yr-old U.S.

School-Based Services for Children With Cochlear Implants.

School-based speech, language, and hearing professionals are instrumental in the provision of rehabilitative, consultative, and support services for children with cochlear implants. This article reviews current candidacy requirements as well as factors that are considered when a child is evaluated for a cochlear implant. Following implantation, school professionals play a pivotal role in providing an appropriate educational program that should include auditory training and the integration of listening into the child's daily routine.

An Introduction to Cochlear Implant Technology, Activation, and Programming.

Over the last decade, cochlear implantation has become an increasingly viable alternative for the treatment of profound sensorineural hearing loss in children. Although speech and hearing professionals play an important role in the communicative, social, and academic development of children with cochlear implants, many may be unfamiliar with recent advances in implant technology. This article provides an overview of the components of cochlear implant systems and the speech processing strategies that are currently being used by toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children.

Role of infant vocal development in candidacy for and efficacy of cochlear implantation.

Previous research has documented the importance of audition in the development of typical infant vocalization. Of particular interest is the development of canonical babbling, which is related to mastery of the timing elements of speech. Children with severe to profound hearing loss who use hearing aids have demonstrated both delayed and deviant canonical babbling.

Weight management and weight loss strategies of professional jockeys.

Jockeys are required to maintain very low body weight and precise weight control during competition. This study examined the weight loss and weight management strategies of professional horseracing jockeys in the state of Victoria, Australia. An anonymous, self-completed questionnaire was administered (55% response rate, n = 116).

Heterosexual Risk for HIV Among Puerto Rican Women: Does Power Influence Self-Protective Behavior?

Lack of power in relationships has been offered as an explanation for why women do not always engage in safer sex behavior with male partners. However, few studies have empirically tested the association between power and self-protective behavior. Causal modeling procedures were used to examine the interrelations of seven measures of power and to examine the effects of power on women's HIV-related communication and condom use with male partners.